Bristol Bay Fisheries Report
Fridays 6pm and Re-Airs at 10pm, AM 670 (Seasonal)
The Bristol Bay Fisheries Report, produced by the KDLG news crew, is dedicated to the one-of-a-kind commercial fishery in Bristol Bay. The show airs Friday nights at 6 p.m., with replays at 10 p.m. Join us for the latest news, numbers and information from the fishery, plus nightly analysis, stories and conversations.
Do you have news tips or ideas, or would you like to share your comments with the show? Reach the KDLG news department at news@kdlg.org, fish@kdlg.org or 907-842-2200.
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Both Naknek-Kvichak and Nushagak fleets nearly hit a million for their daily catch on Saturday, and yesterday’s Port Moller indices report a puzzling low number for the Nushagak River. -
The baywide catch is currently at 18 million. The total sockeye run so far is 27 million which is more than half of the preseason forecast. Fishermen were rescued in multiple close calls in the Bay last week. A backlog of used fishing nets has led net recyclers to ask for cleaner webbing at drop off. -
The salmon run continues its steady push into all districts, while crews persist in their fishing and await this year’s season peak. Port Moller makes predictions on when that peak could be, and how long the run will be substantial.
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Nushagak’s catch yesterday surpassed a million, as all other districts carry on with their hauls, still pulling in a steady load while the bay-wide run surpasses 20 million.
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Eastside catch numbers steadily increase as crews are facing more and more fish coming their way, and Port Moller makes predictions on when the Kvichak will see a huge increase. More sockeye continue their flood into the Nushagak, but king numbers appear worryingly low.
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Coming out of an eventful weekend, districts continue to pull in fish by the hundreds of thousands, with Nushagak nearly hitting 1.5 million alone on Sunday. Escapement has calmed down a bit, and Port Moller catch indices are beginning to spread out more evenly across districts.
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The Nushagak region opened to commercial fishing last week, with fleets bringing in almost 3 million fish so far. Baywide, the total catch is 4.6 million. Bristol Bay saw a record low average weight for sockeye last year, but researchers predict that this season, the average fish will be bigger and heavier. We hear from ecologist Curry Cunningham about why he’s expecting larger sockeye. -
A wild, record-breaking catch index over at Port Moller adds to the peculiar 2025 fishing season; further testimony that the salmon are going to continue running strong. Yesterday’s catch in the Nushagak well surpassed a million, as crews attacked this crazy first week of openings.
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Total catch in the Nushagak breaks a million, as fleets brought in half of that on Tuesday. Escapement in the Nushagak and Wood continues to decrease after that huge spike over the weekend, and Port Moller crews note that it shouldn't be too long before we know whether the sockeye run is indeed as early as it seems.
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Looking ahead at the fishing season, the Alaska Department of Fish and Game forecasts a bay-wide run of 51.3 million sockeye. That’s roughly the same as last year’s 51.6 million-fish run. Sockeye numbers in the Nushagak River on Friday, June 20 are the highest they’ve been on this date in recorded history. Dillingham ushered in the season with several events meant to bring the community together and bless the fleet before they head into the bay.
